Species-specific variation of photosynthesis and mesophyll conductance to ozone and drought in three Mediterranean oaks.

Abstract

Mesophyll conductance (g mCO2) is one of the most important components in plant photosynthesis. Tropospheric ozone (O3) and drought impair physiological processes, causing damage to photosynthetic systems. However, the combined effects of O3 and drought on g mCO2 are still largely unclear. We investigated leaf gas exchange during mid‐summer in three Mediterranean oaks exposed to O3 (ambient [35.2 nmol mol−1 as daily mean]; 1.4 × ambient) and water treatments (WW [well‐watered] and WD [water‐deficit]). We also examined if leaf traits (leaf mass per area [LMA], foliar abscisic acid concentration [ABA]) could influence the diffusion of CO2 inside a leaf. The combination of O3 and WD significantly decreased net photosynthetic rate (P N) regardless of the species. The reduction of photosynthesis was associated with a decrease in g mCO2 and stomatal conductance (g sCO2) in evergreen Quercus ilex, while the two deciduous oaks (Q. pubescens, Q. robur) also showed a reduction of the maximum rate of carboxylation (V cmax) and maximum electron transport rate (J max) with decreased diffusive conductance parameters. The reduction of g mCO2 was correlated with increased [ABA] in the three oaks, whereas there was a negative correlation between g mCO2 with LMA in Q. pubescens. Interestingly, two deciduous oaks showed a weak or no significant correlation between g sCO2 and ABA under high O3 and WD due to impaired stomatal physiological behaviour, indicating that the reduction of P N was related to g mCO2 rather than g sCO2. The results suggest that g mCO2 plays an important role in plant carbon gain under concurrent increases in the severity of drought and O3 pollution.